There are times in your career when taking stock of where you are at right now is a useful exercise. This can be preparing for an interview, starting a new job, working with a new team, when you or your team feel that you've hit a wall. Those moments when you're not sure which way to go next, or which project or issue to address or really to get some idea of how to achieve the goals you want to achieve. 

A SWOT analysis is a really useful and straightforward tool that you and your team can use to dig into where you are and help guide what the next steps could be. It can also give you insight into help you need, and this enables those you work with help you in a productive and useful way.  

It's a great tool to use as part of a team, but can also be used as a personal tool. It requires honesty, leaving your ego aside, trust, courage, psychological safety and more honesty. I've used it from a personal point of view, helping me get set up for a new role  and to ensure I get the support I needed. I've also used it with teams I've lead to help get a grounding and build that sense of team as well as help us all be part of where to next. This week I've worked with a team and used the tool to give them a start up sense of what they need and it was great to hear them talk honestly and openly about their hopes and fears using the tool as a prompt for those conversations. 

So what is a SWOT analysis? It takes four elements and asks you to honestly review where you are at right now in regards to those elements. 

• S-Strengths

• W-Weaknesses 

• O-Opportunities

• T-Threats. 

Using prompts and questions for each of the elements is the best way to get the most from the tool. Strengths and weaknesses are often internal - so personal or connected with your team. In addition your strengths can also be your weaknesses - there is a light and dark side to us all. This tool allows you to gain insight and be honest about how this shows up. Threats and opportunities are often more external - what is going on around you. Opportunities can well tie into your strengths and threats may highlight or reflect your weaknesses. The questions below are starting points for you - adapt and tweak to your specific situation. 

Strengths

• What makes you standout?

• What do you do well?

• Where do you offer most innovation or uniqueness?

• What can you do that others can't?

• What is working well currently?

Weaknesses

• What feedback have you had on where to improve?

• How can you do what you do more efficiently?

• What is your achilles heel?

• What could you improve

• What do you have limited or no exposure to?

• What do others see as your weakness?

Opportunities. 

• What is currently happening in your organisation that your strengths tap into?

• What is upcoming in your area?

• Who can you network or meet with to support you?

• What is a gap in your area/team/organisation that needs filling?

• What are complaints and patient incidents telling you

• What is your manager looking for an answer too?

Threats 

• What is changing around you that will affect you?

• What weaknesses are impacting you - and how?

• Is your job or the expectations of your job/role changing?

• What barriers and obstacles are you currently facing?

• What are any technology impacts on you?

• How are the finances in relation to your team/department?

• What impact will any political change have?

This video is a really great starting point for you to get to grips with what a SWOT analysis is and what the benefits can be for your team. Mindtools have some great summaries from a personal perspective and one with a more business approach.

This article was another good summary I came across, it also stresses the team approach and getting a diverse set of perspectives in the room if you are using SWOT to make plans as to where a larger team are heading. 

I have created you a worksheet that you can use for yourself and to collate your teams brainstorm of your analysis after using SWOT

Download the worksheet from Dropbox here. 
A list of the questions/prompts is also available to download here 

There are heaps of other ideas, templates and prompts available and I've collated a whole heap of them here for you.